Monthly Archives: August 2021
A plug for “All About Redistricting” as the census data will soon be released
Justin Levitt’s tireless work at “All About Redistricting” is being carried on by Doug Spencer while Justin is in the government. It is an extraordinary and valuable resource. From the “About this site”:
All About Redistricting is a… Continue reading
Gerrymandering the Presidency Without a Coup
As much as I’m concerned about the risk that on January 6, 2025 there will a successful subversion of the popular vote caused by an abuse of the procedures set forth in the Electoral Count Act, I’m concerned about other… Continue reading
Merrick Garland op-ed: “It is time for Congress to act again to protect the right to vote”
Over at the Washington Post:
Our society is shaped not only by the rights it declares but also by its willingness to protect and enforce those rights. Nowhere is this clearer than in the area of voting rights.Fifty-six years… Continue reading
“Senate Dems plot new paths on voting reform, sidestepping filibuster”
Politico details a new path using the Spending Clause instead of the Elections Clause (which has some filibuster-related advantages, too):
As the fate of Senate Democrats’ signature ethics and voting reform package remains in limbo, they’re confident they can deliver… Continue reading
“One Year After Executive Order Restored Voting Rights To Iowans With Felony Convictions, Most Haven’t Registered To Vote”
Katarina Sostaric at Iowa Public Radio:
One year after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order restoring voting rights to an estimated 35,000 to 45,000 Iowans with past felony convictions, about 5,000 of the newly eligible individuals have… Continue reading
“Trump Is Planning a Much More Respectable Coup Next Time”
I have written this piece for Slate. It begins:
In recent weeks, we’ve gotten an even greater glimpse into Donald Trump’s efforts to discredit and overturn the results of the 2020 election. From the clownish ongoing audit in Arizona to… Continue reading
“Report of Investigation Regarding Alleged Unauthorized Contacts by Federal Bureau of Investigation Employees with the Media and Other Persons in Advance of the 2016 Election”
The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General has issued this report. A snippet:
Although some of these media contacts were authorized under the FBI’s media policy, particularly those contacts by individuals working in the FBI’s OPA, many of the… Continue reading
On CNN, Discussing My Fears About Election Subversion
Watch.
"I never expected to say I'd be 'scared shitless' on CNN, but that's how I feel."Election law expert @rickhasen explains why he is so concerned that state legislatures may overturn the will of the voters in future elections –… Continue reading
“Libertarian vs. Liberation creates third-party conundrum on Virginia ballots”
Virginia Mercury:
Most Virginia voters go for candidates with a “D” or “R” next to their name, but who should have dibs on the “L?”This year, election officials preparing November’s ballots were faced with the dilemma of how to… Continue reading
Facebook disables accounts tied to NYU research project that studied political ads
Bloomberg:
Facebook Inc. has disabled the personal accounts of a group of New York University researchers studying political ads on the social network, claiming they are scraping data in violation of the company’s terms of service.The company also cut… Continue reading
California appellate court turns back challenge to 2017 recall law
The opinion in Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association v. Weber is here.
Investigation corrects claim that 74,243 Arizona mail-in ballots were counted that had “no clear record of them being sent”
An excerpt from an Arizona Mirror investigation:
The county’s master file, known as the “voted list,” shows each person who cast a ballot in the election — and a letter code indicating whether they voted on Election Day, by mail… Continue reading
“Newsom can call recall proponents ‘Republicans and Trump supporters,’ judge rules”
Maura Dolan at the Los Angeles Times:
A Sacramento judge tentatively decided Wednesday to reject a lawsuit by recall leaders challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom’s description of them as “Republicans and Trump supporters.”“As persuasively demonstrated by Governor Newsom,” Sacramento County… Continue reading